With 3/5 of the Retroforce crew away at GDC earlier this week, it was my job to make sure all would be ready for this week's show. There were calls to be made, lots of information to be researched and outlined, and many tasks to be carried out in order to see that this episode would be up to our gold standard for professional podcasting.
I didn't do any of that stuff, but I'm sure it all would have turned out great if someone had. Anyway, this week's show is all about Phantasy Star. This will be an educational episode for me, as all I know about the series is that some chick got killed, years before Aeris decided to steal her thunder and make it fashionable to take a sword through the torso. Now all the girls are doing it.
What about you? Tell us about your Phantasy Star memories in the comments, and hit us with any questions you have about the series, or about anything at all.
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Contest:
1:42 PM on 02.24.2008
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I recall playing a Gameboy Advance (or was it color) version of Phantasy Star. Why did it suck so much?
The only one I thought was half decent was the 4th one though.
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/426712
Great show.
And yet here I am waiting for the English translated Sega Ages version of PS...
This was going to be the best week ever as well. I have to make it!
I love the original Phantasy Star series because compared to Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star blows them out of the water. The animation of the enemies and the back ground for the first one was amazing and they had the first cinema in a game (the first scene). I could go on and on how much I love Phantasy Star so you guys better do an awesome job.
With all the amazing retro-styled games that were shown off at GDC this year, do you feel more then ever that retro 8 and 16 bit games are gonna make a huge comeback? If so, what games or series would you like to see made for the resurgence?
We can assume Topher does demoes, but i'm with you on that Chad bit. I do have theories though. Does he download them himself, does he NOT download them onto something [i]else[i], does he look at other people's reviews, does he remember them from his childhood, or does he use/find a cartridge and do it up right.
But storywise, such an amazing series. I don't remember all the details today, but it was so great realizing what the worlds really were, and how everything connected in the big story. I need to do myself a favor and wiki-relive it all.
All told, I really want a proper, non-online, straight JRPG sequel.
I have to disagree, I think the first Dragon Quest is better than the first Phantasy Star. Yeah Phantasy Star might have had better graphics and story, but the battles and exploration (walking around on the world map and dungeons) seemed to be less painful in Dragon Quest. What I think I'm trying to say is that the first Phantasy Star seems archaic while I can still go back and play the first Dragon Quest and it still holds up fairly well by "modern" standards. Maybe thats just because the Squaresoft "style" of RPG is more prevalent in today's RPGs than Sega's. Maybe I'm just not hardcore enough, but I tried replaying the original Phantasy Star in NOT ROM form a few months back and my ass is still sore.
Also, if you have the Japanese version there's an openly gay music teacher that charges men less for piano lessons.
Do you think Sega will ever get their heads out of their asses and make Phantasy Star V? 1Up's retro podcast retronauts just did a thing on Phantasy Star and I guess they had to pull a lot of strings to even make IV happen (which is my favorite one), so it seems unlikely, but that was 15 years ago. Do you think there is any hope?
I've never played any of the MMO's. Would you recommend them? Do they have any good single player campaign? Is it actually connected to the original games?
Also why do you think that people ignored the Phantasy Star Series compared to say Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy? I'm referring to back in the day. I know why it's ignored now :P
I can't wait to hear what you guys think! I hope Chad makes it back to LA soon! Don't they have like a million flights a day there? It's a super short flight! Like 45 minutes!
Also, whats with the Ph starting Phantasy?? Was there copyright issues or something?? Or were they just being edgy, bad spellers??
also, @Topher
your not evil, your a badass shm'up pimp!
Sounds awesome. I'll download it tomorrow along with Kirby.
However, this leaves Phantasy Star 1; a non-essential (but reportedly phenomenal) component of the story, but unavailable in my format of choice. I tried to play it through GameTap, but was met with slow, choppy emulation. Through a cursory Google search I discovered a website where not-ROMs could be obtained free of charge, but on this website was a meticulous retranslation of Phantasy Star 1 that has to be seen to be believed. Playing the two within fifteen minutes of one another was breathtaking, even from the introduction alone; instead of the crazy broken-English "WATCH OVER AND PROTECT ME, NERO!" we get Alis staring grimly into the distance as she vows to slay the most powerful man in the world.
My question is, if you were to play something like that -- they apparently also have one for Phantasy Star 2 -- how would you react? You've reacted to retranslations negatively in the past, but I get the feeling this is an entirely different class from "Die, monster!" and the like.
I really enjoyed PSIII too. Sure the battle mechanics were completely different and spell casting (aside from healing spells) were irrelevant, but the game was still enjoyable. I remember you could shift the effectiveness of certain spells and I would put everything in healing. I also made it a point to get every ending. They're not very different but it was fun to do anyway :)
Did anyone cry when "Spoiler" dies? You know who I'm talking about. ;) I was pissed. That character was one of my favorites.
Either the GBA port is not that good or it's not my kind of RPG.
I will admit the the combat in the original Phantasy Star was nothing special but I was talking primarily about the graphics and story. It is one of the first games that had a female lead (Metroid doesn't count because you only found out at the end that she was a woman) which I thought was cool back then.
Character roster customization, planets getting exploded, Nei and Neifirst, some actually difficult dungeons (let's face it...FF and DQ had nothing on the Phantasy Star series in terms of dungeons), Wrecker as a class, and even little anime-cutscenes for the ending. Awesomeness.
I would go play it again right now if it weren't for the fact that I am making my girlfriend play through the series and Phantasy Star 2 is where she's currently at.
Good luck getting home in time Chad. I can't imagine a Chad-less Retroforce GO! episode :(
I’m with you, Topher. The only Phantasy Star game I ever played was Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II for the GameCube. That was another one of those games, like Perfect Dark and NFL Blitz, that I played for countless hours with friends after school. I remember a pretty epic four-player hacking-and-slashing experience, but only in general terms (nothing specific, but then again, it wasn’t really story-based).
I hope everyone gets back to be able to record!
No memories about the series either =/. Oh, and nice job keeping your HP and MP up =).
@CTZ
Maybe that's why they choose Phantasy Star for this episode? =P
Would you like SEGA to make another more traditional, turn-based JRPG styled Phantasy Star again instead of the action MMORPG/action styled RPG? What would you like to see in it?
COMMENTS
PS 4 is my personal favorite in the series. It has great flow to it, interesting characters, fun side quests, and a great storyline. I'm playing it again right now...
PS III is HORRIBLE. It's been so long I can't exactly remember why I hated it, but I do remember killing off the main character. THE BEST MUSIC IN THE GAME WAS THE SAD MUSIC WHICH PLAYED WHEN YOU WALKED AROUND WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER DEAD.
PS II is good but very dated. The menu system is horrible.
I'm sorry to let you guys down, but after I got the fourth new character at level one, and would have to level them up a ton, I gave up. And MAN, the dungeon mazes are UBER hard. UBER ~!
PS I... I never played it.. -_-
I heard about the Phantasy Star 1 and 2 retranslations, but never got around to playing them. Once I figure out where I put my not!modded PSP, I'll parch the not!roms and not!play them.
Ph. Star 1-2 were great because they were kick-butt challenging. Tougher than even Dragon Warrior 1 for NES (and yeah, I'm a DW/DQ fanboy).
If anyone's lamenting over the lack of good Ph. Star games these days, just remember, it could be worse. Shining Force, IMHO, has been dead since 1998, and few of the spinoffs/remakes are worth talking about.
Wid 3/5 uh de Retrofo'ce crew away at GDC earlia' dis week, it wuz mah' job t'make sho' nuff all would be eyebally fo' dis week's show. Dere wuz calls t'be made, lots uh info'mashun t'be researched and outlined, and many tax's t'be carried out in o'da' to see dat dis episode would be down t'our audi-fiveld standard fo' professional podcastin'.
I dun didn't do any uh dat stuff, but I'm sho' nuff it all would gots' turned out great if someone had. Anyway, dis week's show be all about Phantasy Star. Ah be baaad... Dis gots'ta be an educashunal episode fo' me, as all ah' know about da damn series be dat some chick gots wasted, years befo'e Aeris decided t'steal ha' dunda' and make it fashionable t' snatch some swo'd drough de to'so. Now all de goats are doin' it.
What about ya'? Tell us about yo' Phantasy Star memo'ies in de comments, and hit us wid any quesshuns ya' gots' about da damn series, o' about anydin' at all.